StrokeSurvivorBlog

Steve had his seventh hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) treatment today after taking Monday and Tuesday off to allow his ears to recover, and he had NO ear pain. In fact, he didn’t even wear the ear plugs, because I forgot to bring them along. But he did well without them, so hopefully the barotrauma is [...]

Steve has had six hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) treatments, and he has experienced barotrauma, which is ear pain caused from the increased pressure.

Last week at this time, Steve was recovering from an angioplasty with 5 implanted stents that opened up two blocked arteries. Since then, he’s been feeling much better. All chest pain is gone and he has much more energy. He doesn’t sleep as much as he did before, which was on and off about 18-20 [...]

My husband, Steve, will start an ECP heart treatment next week to increase the circulation of blood flow to his heart. ECP or External Counter Pulsation is a non-invasion therapy for the treatment of congestive heart failure and advanced angina pectoris.  When the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygenated blood, it sends a signal [...]

Stroke pain is a constant, but unwelcome companion for my husband, a stroke survivor since February 2008. I call him a stroke survivor, not stroke victim because he is still alive and recovering. Steve has literally experienced stroke pain from head to toe, and it’s unlike ordinary pain. Regular pain relievers are ineffective against nerve [...]

I’m sure you’ve heard of Botox injections for cosmetic reasons, but did you know it can treat neurological spastic disorders in stroke survivors? Spasticity is a condition in which certain muscles are continuously contracted. This contraction causes stiffness or tightness of the muscles and may interfere with movement, speech, and manner of walking. The degree [...]

Today Steve had an echocardiogram which his new doctor (an internist) ordered. He thought the shortness of breath was not due to collapsed lungs, but to congestive heart failure with fluid filling his lungs. The echo confirmed that diagnosis, and it also showed that one heart valve is not working which is causing the swelling [...]